Turnabout
by Rabbit Lily
Summary: When he had decided to follow in his father's footsteps, thirteen year old Ryuto Kamui didn't expect his little adventure would take the sudden turn it did. But hey, at least he has a soldier-turned-kappa, an apathetic demon, a fairy, and a timid wolf/human hybrid possibly afraid of men and her own shadow to help him out, right...?
1. Lightening

**Note: Alright. I'm gonna keep this explanation short and sweet. This is a rewrite for "The Stars Fall at Midnight". I felt like it need a fresh start, so I deleted it a few days ago. Some of you may have noticed that my first DGM fic "With Every Fallen Star" was also deleted. I honestly started to hate "With Every Fallen Star", so no. Unlike my vocaloid fic, it will not be rewritten. Its gone for good. **

**Disclaimer: All Vocaloids and UTAU used in this fic belong to their respective owners, got it?**

* * *

Peace was good. Peace was wonderful. It allowed you to sleep at night, knowing that some monster won't sneak into your house late at night and murder/eat your whole family.

But for someone who made money off your fears and nightmares, peace was _horrible_ and would eventually end with starvation.

However, for someone as young as Ryuto, he shouldn't have to rely on said fears, and should be relying on his parents, and their jobs. Not his own job and a gun that didn't even shoot actual bullets.

The whole village lately seemed to have entered a state similar to the _Pax Roman__a, _and their had been no reports of monster or demon sightings. Instead, everything seemed to have been _thriving _over the years. Ryuto could remember a time when demons really seemed to love screwing over man and his father was practically busy around the clock while Ryuto was forced to stay home and hope that his father didn't come home covered in blood and barely breathing, or that he came home at all.

Those were good times...

But seeing as said father was killed in the line of duty years ago (or that was what Ryuto had been told), Ryuto was stuck with a Kappa with the sharpest tongue he ever came across, and his father's old gun, Midnight. Now, the child had been offered to stay with a trusted female friend (Ryuto had a feeling they had been more than "friends"), he had declined Ms. Megurine's offer. He was determined to pick up the pieces his dad left behind, and there was no way he was going to waste all that training he was forced to suffer through everyday for four straight years. Besides, an adventure didn't sound so bad, now did it?

But no, the demons had to just go on a break. Did they even take breaks? As far as Ryuto knew, demons and monsters didn't even have jobs, except maybe summoned ones.

The worse part was that he made sure to choose the village most known for attacks. _Well_, apparently his sources were wrong.

A long, cold glare was casted at the overgrown lima bean muching away on a cucumber next to him.

"I thought you said you hated cucumbers."

_"I thought you said you would find us a job."_

Oh, how he wanted to strangle the little kappa, but Yuuma was pretty much the only company Ryuto had, and the thirteen year old boy was pretty sure he would go insane and start talking to a mushroom.

_"Glare at me all you want, kid, but it won't help our situation." _The little kappa finished off the cucumber and hopped off the barrel he was perched on earlier. Having had nothing to do all day, the pair had been loitering in front of a small shop on the wooden barrels left outside. The shopkeeper didn't seem to mind too much, though. As long as they didn't cause trouble, they could do whatever the hell they wanted.

Yuuma waddled in front Ryuto's barrel to look up at the kid, eyes locked on the other's. _"We need to earn us some cash__, otherwise we'll starve to death."_

"Us?" Ryuto hissed, jumping off his barrel. "Don't you mean _me_? Last time I checked, you weren't the one that almost had his arm eaten by a hellhound!"

_"Quit whining. As a matter of fact, I have been busy lately," _And there was that glint in his eyes. While Yuuma was limited in expressions, Ryuto had learned through experience that when the Kappa had something up his sleeves (figuratively speaking), there seemed to be literal glint in those black eyes. _"I've found us a job."_

"Really? When?"

_"Now, now. No need to go into details. Let's just say I did some snooping around." _Yuuma then motioned over with his little flipper. Ryuto crouched down to the kappa's eye level as Yuuma filled him in on his findings.

_"About fifty years ago, some demon was sealed off somewhere around here after bringing nothing but trouble to the villagers. Storms, lightning fires, and even famine from all the destruction it caused," _Yuuma would've raised a brow if he had any when he saw the green haired boy pull an odd face, but continued on. _"However, the priest who made the seal had passed away for some years now, and some of the villagers are worried the beast may break free any day now."_

"Can seals just lose their power like that?"

_"A binding seal, my little runt," _Yuuma stated, as if Ryuto knew what that meant. When coming to a realization that Ryuto had no freaking idea what he meant, Yuuma slapped a stubby fin to his head. _"You're kidding, right? The old man didn't teach you that?!"_

That was when the boy seemed to grow sheepish, and awkward chuckle escaping as he twiddled his fingers. "Well...he _may _have, but I...um...may have fallen asleep-OW!"

The boy whimpered as he rubbed his sore cheek as Yuuma grunted. _"You're useless! To think that all that time the old man wasted on you, you spent it in freaking DREAMLAND!"_

"Hey! I have been paying attention! But sometimes, his lectures get so long and borin-OW! Shit!"

_"Anyway,"_ Yuuma muttered, as he turned around and ignored Ryuto's sniffling behind him as the child now had TWO sore, reddening cheeks. _"A binding seal is most effective when the user is alive, as it's like your using very own living spirit to trap whatever creature you used it on. However, it will start losing its power once the user has passed...that priest must've had a lot spiritual power in him if it lasted this long."_

"So we're going to get rid of the problem before it becomes a problem...? How are you sure we're gonna be paid for this?" Ryuto questioned, some tears still visible in his eyes.

_"Trust me, runt. I think they'll be pretty grateful when they're not starving to death and dying in house fires." _With that, Yuuma started to waddle away, Ryuto following close behind.

* * *

The various rocks and tree roots proved to make walking on the the forest hill difficult, and a trip could send you tumbling down and possibly with a broken arm or leg. Haven't these people ever heard of stairs? And the statues that seemed to watch over all who venture up this path to possibly death were more unnerving than the possibility of wolves. Ryuto was pretty damn sure whatever made that howling was hungry.

_"You look like you're about to jump out of your skin, kid." _Yuuma commented ahead of him. Much farther ahead of him. How the soldier-turned-kappa even managed to get far with his waddling and stubby feet, Ryuto would never know the answer to.

"This whole place freaks me out..." Ryuto replied, giving an unmanly yelp when he almost tripped on one of those damned tree roots. Trees shouldn't be allowed to grow this large!

_"You're just sensitive to the demon's presence. Heh, it must be a strong one!" _This seemed to excite Yuuma, because he started moving faster towards their destination, leaving poor Ryuto to struggle to catch up. He was practically panting when they finally reached the top of the hill, surrounded by gigantic trees. They allowed little sunlight, but seemed sympathetic enough to leave a clearing space for the old, cracked statue sitting in the middle of it. Sunlight poured down on it unlike the dapples of the light in most of the forest.

The closer Ryuto got to it, the more he felt his heart race. He could barely get himself to touch it, but his companion seemed to have little trouble doing so. The kappa hummed softly as he observed the statue. It was a little man, with his hands together as if praying. It was dirtied with moss and covered in cracks. A tag was stuck to his forehead, and it seemed half of it had been burnt off.

_"Odd..."_

"What is?" Ryuto asked, obviously becoming worried as an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach.

_"The seals already this far gone, so why has it stopped now? It should still be deteriorating as we speak..."_

Something definitely wasn't right, but Yuuma didn't get a chance to observe more than he already had when a shriek sounded above them. Both males looked up in surprise as a large bird like creature circled above them in the skies before suddenly dropping. Diving towards them with its sharp clawed feet aiming at Ryuto's head. He narrowly dodged the attack as he practically launched himself out of the way.

As the creature turned around to launch another attack, Ryuto barely got a chance to look at their attacker. The "bird" was obviously a demon, half as large as the enormous trees of the forest. Its white, beautiful feathers contrasted the hideous, but almost human looking head whose face was covered with long, wire like white hair that seemed tangled in some places with the blood of whatever poor creature previously came into contact with the starving harpy.

Ryuto was expecting another attack on him, getting ready to make a break for it, but was unpleasantly surprised when he heard the shouting of certain kappa. He looked above him as the hideous monster had Yuuma trapped in its grip. It was obviously tired of his kicking and screaming, as it squeezed him tighter and tighter until he fell silent, and unconscious.

Ryuto quickly took his gun from its holster and aimed it at the harpy. "Don't worry Yuuma! I-" He was cut off, however, as he began to practically choke on the atmosphere around him. His heart was racing faster than before, and he was shaking so much, he thought he was going to drop his gun.

At the same time, the statue that had been in the middle of this had shattered into dust, and the tag had burnt off before then.

Ryuto barely registered the blood curdling screech above him with his fear clouded mind. He looked with widened eyes, as another demon seemed to appear, except...this one's skin was completely black, and almost leathery in appearance. Large, bat-like wings is what enabled the monster to reach the harpy and practically tackle it back to earth, and Ryuto realized that Yuuma was no longer in the harpy's clutches.

The crash of the titans whipped up enough dirt and wind to make Ryuto fall to his feet, and he could only watch as the monsters battled it out, Yuuma no longer visible, and that proved to put Ryuto in even more panic. But he dared not to move, afraid he would get caught in the monsters' fight.

The harpy seemed to know what it was going up against, as it tried to flee before facing the other's wrath. However, the black demon grabbed it roughly by its scaled legs and flung it brutally into the trees with a roar. The harpy laid dazed among the split trees, covered in cuts. When its opponent stomped towards it, Ryuto wasn't sure if he wanted to see what his savior/possible enemy was going to do to it.

The demon grabbed the demoness by its neck, and with a toothy, sadistic grin, sparks of blue electricity came about his body as he charged, then released all of it onto the harpy. The demon screamed in agony until the black demon dropped it to the ground. The harpy never moved again.

One problem was dealt with, but now another showed itself. The demon, to Ryuto's horror, was coming towards him, with his left claw balled into a fist. The child weakly gripped his gun, beginning to feel trapped.

But, to his surprise (again) and relief, the demon did not attack Ryuto. No, instead, it lowered itself in a kneeling position and lowered its fist to the ground. It opened up its hand to reveal Yuuma, still unconscious in the middle of its palm. It tilted its hand so the kappa could slide off a safe distance from the ground in front of Ryuto. The child hesitantly walked forward and quickly took the kappa into his arms protectively, as if the demon change its mind and crush them both. Was the demon...trying to _protect_ him and Yuuma. Such behavior from a strong demon like the one before him was unheard of. Rarely, would a demon go out of its way to protect a human from another of its kind.

The black demon blinked its blood red eyes before sitting down onto the ground with a heavy noise. Ryuto watched in confusion, as it sighed and closed its eyes. It seemed exhausted, despite how easily it took down the lower demon before. Was it due to being restrained and fighting against its seal for so many years? The priest that imprisoned it really must've been strong to face such a creature. A shame a man like him had died.

Ryuto coughed when black dust surrounded him. He clasped a hand to his mouth and nose as he watched the large demon begin to...erode away at a frightening pace until it disappeared. Or did it...?

Walking forward slowly to where the giant demon had once been sitting, to say what Ryuto saw was shocking would be an understatement.

A naked, blue haired young man was lying on the grass, fast asleep.

* * *

**A/N: There! First chapter finished! Go ahead, guess who the character is at the end. Not that I'm telling you if you get it right, anyway... :)**

_You see that box down there? Don't forget to review!_


	2. Decay pt I

**Note: _After some time, I finally have this chapter finished! It took a while, as I knew the basic idea for it, but some details I still needed to think about. But after coming across a certain history figure (or figures), I finally knew what I wanted._**

_**Thanks to **japaneserockergirl **for the review! Although it wasn't Kaito, he'll be making an appearance eventually in the story. Eventually...**_

* * *

Never had Ryuto felt so much fear since...well, since a day ago, actually, but that didn't mean this very moment didn't scare him as much! The boy stood stiff as the officer poked and prodded the blanket covered wooden cart he had "borrowed" from a friendly old man (in other words, he stole it, yelling that he'll pay the man back even though he knew it probably wouldn't happen). The elderly man had even made a move to remove the sheet and inspect the inside, but sudden appearance of another man in uniform had given Ryuto the luck he needed.

The second officer had whispered something in the first's ear, and while reluctantly, the first had stepped to the side to let Ryuto through with the cart. "Alright kid, it's your lucky day. But if you cause any trouble, you won't be as lucky, got it?"

"Understood sir!" Ryuto squeaked. He could hear the faint snicker underneath the cart and promptly kicked it. There was a yelp too loud for comfort, but before the officers could say anything, the green haired boy had already ran ahead into their next village.

_"You dirty little brat! That hurt!"_ Yuuma had shouted, rubbing a rather large bump on his head. When he had practically burst out from under the sheets after Ryuto had found a nice (as in dark and dirty) little (as in extremely narrow and uncomfortable) alleyway, melons had rolled out and crashed to the ground. Guess we know where the bump came from.

"You shouldn't have laughed." Ryuto said oh so matter-of-factly, which made Yuuma even more irritated than before. Before he could throw one of his famous tantrums, a sleepy, somewhat drawled out voice spoke from behind them.

A second body poked out from the blanket, very much human, and very much naked. The young man had light, almost baby blue hair with an odd, white patch and his red eyes stared tiredly at the two oddballs. "Are we there yet...?"

_"What do you think?" _The kappa snapped back, still obviously upset by his earlier abuse. Ryuto couldn't help but think that the kind, old grandpa probably didn't want _those _melons back anytime soon, especially when a naked stranger had been sleeping on them, and he didn't want to eat them either.

"...Maybe we can sell them. We're broke, and no one would ever know..." Ryuto said, unknowing of the fact that he had voiced his thoughts aloud. Yuuma looked up at him, a puzzled look on his face. In the end, he shrugged it off as another one of those moments that made Ryuto the dumb runt he'll always be.

_"So, am I the only one concerned by all the security around this place?"_

It was true. The village they had found themselves in was filled with the local police for some reason. Some of the caravans before them had gone through the same check over, and they probably had it more rough. Ryuto had even seen one of the carts being flipped over, the merchandise having been shattered or broken apart as soon as it had hit the ground. If Ryuto wasn't as young as he was and that other officer hadn't come when he did, they would have surely been found out.

"I guess something big must of happened," Ryuto replied, peeking out from the alley. It appeared a few merchants and even shop keepers were being questioned. "If it's a demon, then we need to jump on this! After all...we didn't get paid at all last time..."

* * *

_**A day** **ago...**_

_Both Ryuto and Yuuma stared down at the unconscious body in shock...and something akin to disgust with Yuuma's expression._

"Alright," _Yuuma started to waddle back down the path they came. _"Let's grab him and get our reward."

_"What?!" Ryuto yelled, suddenly on the defensive. "We can't just take back there! They'll kill him!" He **is **the demon who had caused nothing but strife on them for 50 straight years, and he is pretty weak right now. He'd be easy to exterminate in his current condition. Yuuma had seemed unfazed though._

"Kid, if we don't get food into our stomachs soon, we are going to **_die_**." _And he couldn't have the son of the man who took him in when he was just a literal lost soul without a body, die. Because that would be bad, and he would never hear the end of it if he were to meet the ex-mercenary in the afterlife. Ryuto was an awfully stubborn child though, and had even gone as far as to protectively hug the very creature that burned a harpy to ashes just a few minutes ago._

_"No! He saved us from being bird food. We can't just sell him out like that!"_

_Yuuma really hated it when the brat played the moral card. _"Alright, fine! You want to keep him? Then he's _your_ responsibility. But if he ever goes bat-shit crazy again, remember this: You'll be the one to kill him." _With that, he quickly waddled away, leaving Ryuto alone with their new addition to the band of misfits._

_The child looked down at the figure with a cheerful smile. "Don't worry Matsuda, you'll get used to him."_

* * *

Ever since then, they (Ryuto) were put in charge of feeding, clothing, and guarding a temporarily stable demon. Mastuda, however, had proven to be a rather nice traveling companion. He kept Ryuto busy, instead of bothering Yuuma. Even though the demon didn't really speak much...or respond...or do anything but sleep, Ryuto apparently found it more comfortable to share whatever was on his mind with him. Yuuma usually found a way to pick on him if he tried to share anything.

"Right!" Ryuto exclaimed with his usual upbeat cheerfulness. "Maybe we can convince the officers we can of some help."

"Ryuto..." Surprisingly, Matsuda was the one to speak up this time. He was sitting up on one of the melons, the sheet draping over his shoulder. "I don't think they would take us very seriously..."

"Really? Why?"

_"Take a nice long look at us, kid."_

And Ryuto did just that, and he wasn't happy with what he saw.

For one thing, he was a child. A small child with the teeth of a beaver (or so Yuuma enjoyed pointing out). Another thing, he was a child with a plump little duck-turtle-penguin creature that no one but him and Matsuda understood, and if they did? They would have the misfortune of being on the other end of the sharpest tongue they would have ever heard. Finally, they were toting around a naked young man in a fruit cart they hijacked from some poor merchant.

"Right..." The boy mumbled sourly. "But once I tell them who my father is, I bet they'll change their minds. Bonus if they're desparate."

_'They'll have to be to hire us...'_ Yuuma thought, as he followed behind Ryuto.

When the group came to what appeared to be the center of the village, that was when everything seemed to be much clearer.

A large amount of people of various ages were gathered in the plaza on sheets, lied down side by side. Some coughed and wheezed, and Ryuto was sure he saw one of them spit blood onto the ground. But that wasn't the worst of it. Each of the diseased victims had these odd growths on their faces that, from what the young traveler could tell, was most likely spread on other parts of their bodies. The growths reminded him of a fungus, but they pulsed almost at the same beat of a human heart.

Why were these obviously severely sick people lying outside in the open anyway?! They needed medical attention! A doctor or something!

As he saw some officers pull more villagers out, Ryuto had ran to stop them, ignoring Yuuma's calls. Matsuda was peeking out the cart, curious on what was going on.

Ryuto was an inch close of grabbing one of the officer's arm when something fast and hard struck his hand. He winced and held back his hand close. A shadow loomed over him, and the boy looked in awe as a figure dressed in black towered over him with a height that towered even the grown officers.

"And who, child, are _you_?" The man had asked, though despite the deep voice, Ryuto wasn't entirely sure of his gender. With the white beak mask covering his face and the black felt hat sitting comfortably on his head. The "man" was completely dressed in black, with a buttoned overcoat and boots that appeared to have seen better days. Thin, almost spider-like fingers were covered by white gloves and gripped the thin black cane he had used on Ryuto just a second ago. Why he needed the cane, Ryuto couldn't figure out, since he stood straight with shoulders broad and an air like that of a major authority figure.

"I should be asking you the same." Ryuto snapped back, obviously upset from getting his hand smacked like some disobedient child.

The man's eyes, if he had any under those tinted glass lens, were mostly likely glaring at the child before him. "Well, if I had known the young ones here were so disrespectful towards their elders, I would've never stepped foot into this filthy little village. Perhaps I should take my business elsewhere if this is how I will be treated."

The mystery man had turned to leave, but an officer called out to him desperately. "Wait, please, Doctor! I assure you, this child is not a part of us! He was a part of the merchants who came in today. Everyone here is very grateful that you came to help us."

The Doctor stood still. "Was this child alone, perhaps?"

The officers seemed puzzled, but the previous one spoke again, who Ryuto had now recognized as the one who unintentionally saved their skins earlier. "I-I think so...?"

The Doctor had spun around so quick, it startled the officers. "Why didn't you say so before! Shame on you!" He suddenly clasped his free hand on Ryuto's shoulders, who was obviously very uncomfortable with the close contact. "This is no place for a child to be frolicking about! Shame on you, for letting such a little one wander about without shelter when a disease is running rampant!"

The sudden shift in attitude towards the boy was admittedly strange, but the men were just happy as it seems The Doctor was not leaving anytime soon, if the fact he was practically dragging Ryuto over to the bodies was any indication.

The Doctor was kneeling over a patient while Ryuto stood stiff beside him. Yuuma, enjoying his discomfort, chose not to come over and perch on the boy's shoulder as usual and stayed at the cart, silently observing as a few healthy villagers risked coming closer to witness The Doctor's work.

"Do you see how sick these poor people are?" He asked Ryuto, going on even when he didn't receive a reply. "This is no ordinary illness, as I'm sure you can tell. Believe it or not, a similar disease had ravaged this region many years ago. It literally rotted the patients from the inside-out. The medical field was not as advanced as it is now, so many doctors had fallen to the plague from carelessness alone. I am a special case, however."

"What do you-" Ryuto paused as The Doctor had removed his gloves. There were gasps amongst the little crowd, for The Doctor's hands looked as if they, themselves, were rotting away. Where flesh should be was fungus, and you could clearly see bone underneath where there was no flesh or fungi blocking it. Ryuto felt almost sick just from looking at it.

The Doctor had put one of those hands on a patient's cheeks. It was a young woman with one of the most severe cases. "This cursed body of mine does not fall under the disease. I take in their sickness; I wear it." As he said this, the decay on the woman's face seemed to move towards the The Doctor's hand, spreading over it and clutching it as if trying to become his very skin. It continued until the patient seemed to be cleaned of the offensive decay.

The Doctor turned his head to Ryuto, a chuckle escaping from the look of admiration on the child's face. After a moment, the people around them began talking excitedly, as a solution to their problem had finally arrived.

"I have more patients to treat, so why don't you go on? Even with me here, it is not safe for a child to be exposed like this." Without giving him a chance to argue, The Doctor pushed Ryuto away and continued to examine the others. Ryuto soon joined his group at the cart, not sure what to think.

_"Don't fall for his martyr act, kid. Something about that _doctor_ doesn't sit right with me." _Yuuma warned.

"I don't know. He seemed pretty worried about the condition of this village, and did you see his hands?"

_"I bet he's robbing these people blind just to treat all of them though. Trust me, kid, some doctors are greedy bastards."_

There was no point in arguing with Yuuma, so Ryuto dropped it for now. The Doctor did make one point; they had no where to stay for the night. As if knowing what was going through Ryuto's mind, Mastuda poked out from under the sheets again.

"Ryuto...let's stay for a little longer."

"Huh? Why?"

"I don't like him."

By "him", the youngest of the group knew the stoic demon must have been referring to The Doctor. Whie he truly was convinced the odd man meant no harm, his hands and odd ability did make Ryuto have doubts.

"Fine, but let's get you some clothes first."


	3. Decay pt II

The trio had found an inn to spend the night in, but in return for not having any money, Ryuto was forced to work under the innkeeper, who was quite a scary woman. Amazing that her seemingly frail husband could stand her, but whenever the thought came to mind, Ryuto would remember how lovey dovey the middle aged couple would behave around each other.

"Mom may look intimidating, but she really is kind! You just gotta prove to her you deserve the kindness." Their daughter, who also worked with them, had told him...after the innkeeper had caught him sneaking food from the kitchen. Let's just say, that wooden spoons can hurt _a lot_.

It was all worth it though! They got a nice room with two beds, one for Ryuto and one for Matsuda. Though, getting Matsuda in was a bit more of a challenge.

* * *

Matsuda gazed back up at the burly woman, who was the complete opposite of her daughter, who was small (but not in an unhealthy way) and had more gentle features compared to her mother. Never had Matsuda thought family could look so different.

The woman continued staring at him, _examining him_, but the blue haired demon remained unfazed. He didn't even blink, which was a little creepy.

"You said this was your brother?" She suddenly asked. Ryuto, standing on the side with Yuuma on his shoulder and the daughter trying to feed him a slice of cucumber, nodded nervously. "Um, y-yes..." He said, realizing the innkeeper probably couldn't see him. He cursed himself for stuttering.

The innkeeper didn't speak for a moment, her and Matsuda's staring contest not lighting up until she let out a quiet sigh and crossed her arms. "Alright, kid, he can stay. But," She pointed a thumb downwards. "Anna, get this guy some clothes."

Anna, her daughter, gave up on her attempts to get Yuuma to eat the cucumber slice (as he kept slapping them away with his little flippers, which she found adorable all the same) and nodded with a smile, fetching to get Matsuda some clothes to replace the sheet currently covering his lower body.

"Thank you, Mi- eep!" Ryuto squeaked when a finger was suddenly jabbed on his nose.

"Listen here; obviously you two and your little pet there don't have any money, so you'll have to work for your stay. Both of you, understand?" The innkeeper asked, and Ryuto nodded his head immediately. So fast, he thought his head would snap off. The woman seemed quite happy with this answer, and walked away. Ryuto let a breath he hadn't known he was holding, but as if on cue, an apron was thrown right into his face (_pink _of all colors!).

"By the way, your work begins immediately!"

* * *

Not the most pleasant memory he had, but he had worse.

Ryuto sighed and sat up in his bed. It was night, and both his and Matsuda's beds were placed right next to the windows on each side of the room. Yuuma slept beside Ryuto, sleeping like a baby. Matsuda was a surprisingly loud snorer despite his quiet nature, but that wasn't what was keeping Ryuto awake.

Maybe he had grown used to sleeping outside, having to go through shifts with Yuuma in case some monster or a pack of wolves was prowling around for prey. Or...it could just be the cold night air coming through his open window. Oh yes, that was most likely it.

With a huff, Ryuto went to lean over and close it shut, but in the dark, he had noticed a shadow moving through the empty streets. But that could just be some stray cat roaming about. Still, his eyes didn't leave as he saw the shadow move quickly through the streets, like some rat, but it was definitely too big to be a cat.

But running after some unknown creature through the dark was risky. It wasn't like he had night vision, and it could make aiming harder. But that's assuming he would go alone. Yuuma seemed to have pretty good eyes, but he wasn't much help tired and groggy.

For now, for this one time, Ryuto decided to bite back the growing feeling in his gut and shut his window, locking it too.

It wasn't until the next morning did he begin to regret that decision.

He had woken up, getting dressed (and having to help Matsuda get dressed since he kept falling back asleep) and ready to work for a another night of stay, but when had came downstairs to the main lobby, he was quite surprised by what he saw.

Anna had collapsed on the floor, both her mother and father there. The crying mother was trying to get to her, but somehow, her smaller husband was keeping her away. On what could be seen on Anna's leg that wasn't covered by her dress was the same growth that was on the sick patients from yesterday.

But it wasn't just the innkeepers who standing in the room. The black presence of The Doctor was also in the room, crouched over to get a good look at the diseased Anna. Her breathing was sporadic, and the fungus was quickly spreading over her leg.

The Doctor stood up and stared the parents dead on. "And you say she was completely healthy yesterday?"

"Th-That's right. She was as full energy as always!" The husband answered while consoling his wife.

"I see. I'll handle it immediately. You are lucky I was around though. Judging how aggressive this case is, her condition could have worsened quickly."

"Th-Thank you, Doctor! Thank you!" Anna's father continued to say his thanks until The Doctor raised a gloved hand as a sign for him to cease. He fell silent, but the happy and relieved smile didn't fade.

Ryuto, however, was not smiling.

Anna's treatment was quick, as the flesh eating fungus was absorbed onto The Doctor, like Ryuto had seen yesterday. Ryuto, though, had also noticed something odd. Something different about The Doctor.

The Doctor's hand was completely covered in skin. Yesterday, it was practically covered in holes and peeling, yet seemed good as new save for the fungi clinging to him.

But he didn't want to say anything while Anna's parents were busy thanking him and cheering for their daughter's health. Anna had been carried to a room to rest, as she was still unconscious and needed to regain her strength.

_"I told you there was something fishy about that doctor."_ Yuuma said after Ryuto had told him what he had saw, outside. Apparently the innkeeper was generous enough to give them a break after her daughter's recover. He was leaning in the same alleyway they had hid in yesterday, as it was the only place they could get some privacy outside (and people didn't stare at him strangely for talking to an animal).

"I think you're right. This doctor seems pretty well known, or at least, that's what I'm getting from the villagers. If he's popular, there's bound to be something about his past, maybe." After all, rumors were nasty things, true or not. They tend to spread faster than a wild fire. The problem was picking the truth from the lies.

Ryuto straightened himself and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "So, I say we ask around. Find out a little more about The Doctor."

_"Like what his real name is and where the hell he came from." _Because "The Doctor" was certainly not a name. Ryuto gave the small creature a nod before turning away to leave the alley, Yuuma following and hopping on his shoulder. What he didn't hear was another pair of footsteps, so the boy turned his head back around. "Matsuda?"

Matsudappoiyo was looking in the direction opposite of them, all focus directed to whatever caught his attention. If he was facing Ryuto, he could've saw that the demon's eyes were sharpened like a cat's. The demon lingered there for another minute, Ryuto slowly approaching him, trying to get him to respond, before suddenly dashing off without warning.

"Matsuda! Matsuda, where are you going?!" Ryuto yelled out as he tried to keep up with the older boy's speed, running through the streets and dodging people, merchants, and the occasional officer. He almost cried when he saw Matsuda practically turn over a one of the caravans' carts passing through, so focused on what was ahead that he blocked out the angry yells of the owner. Ryuto had quickly apologized for his friend as he passed by.

They were going quite far out, he realized. His legs were getting tired, and he was slowing down. Eventually, Ryuto had to stop to regain his breath while Matsuda kept going farther into the less populated area of the village. Going...going...and gone.

"Hah...That guy...hah...doesn't know how to stop does he...?" Ryuto panted.

_"Ryuto..."_

Ryuto followed Yuuma's vision upward just in time to see the familiar flash of lightening far away, but not a dark cloud in the sky.

Plus, it was _black_.

Ryuto started running again despite the angry protests of his sore legs, knowing immediately who was responsible for that sudden dark burst. Ryuto barely registered the broken down and abandoned homes and buildings he passed by in what seemed to be the old parts of the village, left secluded farther away by the "new" one. He kept his gaze upward, following each flash and hoping that the crash and collapse of two or three of the old homes wasn't Matsuda's doing.

_"Look out!" _

Ryuto narrowly missed being thrown back himself when a flash of blue went flying past him. He hurriedly turned around and went over towards one of the houses, which now had a gaping hole in it along with a bruised and beat up Matsuda. He tried to examine the demon, but instead, was grabbed and carried away before something jumped down to where him and Matsuda just were. With Ryuto (and Yuuma) in his arms, Matsuda glared at the creature surfacing from inside the abandoned home.

The thing resembled something like a spider, but was as big as a horse and covered in plants and...was that...fungi? It reminded Ryuto of the same stuff latching on to the sick villagers yesterday, but this time it had a putrid smell to it and the spider creature had white buds decorating its back. It's front legs were broad and sharp like a blades, unlike the rest that practically looked like twigs.

Matsuda reluctantly put Ryuto down when the boy demanded it. The rotten spider was beginning to run at them, and Matsuda was about to tell Ryuto to stand back before the boy did something rather unexpected.

There was yelling from a certain overgrown lima bean when Ryuto suddenly grabbed him by his head. "Catch!" He then hurled the kappa at the spider, hitting it in the face (Matsuda decided to chalk the squeak that followed up to his imagination) and successfully distracting it long enough to grab his gun from its holster and shoot. Yuuma had fallen to the ground just when the bright, white light shot into the rotten spider's face, successfully bringing it down.

All three watched in disgust as the creature kept moving about on the ground like it was having a seizure until it finally stopped moving.

Midnight returned to its holster as the amateur hunter looked over the body. "What the hell is this?"

_"You threw me!"_ Yuuma shouted, hopping up back on Ryuto's shoulder to smack some sense back into the boy. _"Are you crazy?! What if that thing chose to stab me instead?!"_

"Ow, ow, ow! Stop, okay?! I'm sorry!" He cried, trying to shield his face now that the kappa was pecking at him. While the other two squabbled, Matsuda noticed something on the dead spider.

Slowly, the white buds on its back were opening up. He opening his mouth to say something to the others, until a white, powdery substance suddenly flew up into his face. He coughed harshly, going down on his knees as he felt himself suffocating before passing out all together.

"Matsuda?! Matsuda...!"

* * *

**Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I tried to make it longer because there was a lot I wanted to put...but I'll save it for the fourth chapter.**

**Also, before I forget again, I wanted to say where a few inspirations for the story came from.**

**For those wondering _"Why is Yuuma a kappa?" _he isn't really...it's a temporary body, but the reason for his placement comes later in the story. Now, why did I choose a kappa? Thinking through all the possibilities, I chose a kappa mainly because of Manbo-dead-behind-the-house-P. He seems to really love using Gumi and VY2, and often in his videos, you'll find these cute little kappas in them. I know most see Yuuma as the more calm character...but I found it more funny for Yuuma to have a cute appearance, but a nasty attitude. (Hehe~)**

**Lastly, Matsudappoiyo: I remember listening to what I believe was an original song from him (I can't remember the name) in which he had a demonic appearance in the art and dressed in black. I thought it would be nice to have a place for him, but since I wanted a band of misfits, he became a demon based on that (plus, he's one of my favorite UTAU, so he needed a place in this story).**

_You see that box down there? Don't forget to review!_


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